On Monday, July 14, 2025, the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers recommended the suspension of Attorney Anna Shapiro’s law license for eighteen months due to multiple violations of the Massachusetts Rules of Professional Conduct.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of Anna Shapiro,” with case numbers C2-20-265843, C2-21-269435, C2-21-271474, and C2-22-275557.
The recommendation follows a four-count petition for discipline filed against Shapiro by bar counsel, which alleged excessive fees, misrepresentation to a judge, filing a frivolous motion, and failure to communicate effectively with clients.
The hearing committee found that Shapiro, who operates a general practice law firm in Woburn, had charged excessively high fees in four separate client matters. In each case, the committee determined that the fees charged were not only unreasonable but also not reflective of the services provided. In total, Shapiro billed her clients over $155,000, far exceeding the reasonable fees, which were estimated at around $50,000 for the same services.
The first client involved in the disciplinary actions was Michelle Melanson, who hired Shapiro in 2019 for a guardianship case. Shapiro billed Melanson approximately $15,625 for representation that, according to the committee’s expert, should have only cost around $7,500. The committee noted that Shapiro’s incompetence in handling the case resulted in significant delays and unnecessary complications.
In the second case, Nia Rollins-Lyons engaged Shapiro in a custody dispute involving her four-year-old son. Shapiro filed a motion to compel a polygraph examination, relying on outdated legal precedent that had been overruled decades earlier. The committee found that this motion was frivolous and that Shapiro had charged Rollins-Lyons over $22,000 for services that should have been much less, estimating a reasonable fee at $7,500.
The third client, Erik Kometti, faced a contempt complaint regarding child support issues. Shapiro billed Kometti approximately $75,774, despite the committee determining that a reasonable fee would have ranged from $25,000 to $30,000. The committee noted that Kometti’s case was straightforward and did not require the extensive legal work that Shapiro had billed.
The final case involved Linda Zullo, who hired Shapiro for a contested divorce. Shapiro charged Zullo around $42,000, while the committee concluded that a reasonable fee for the divorce, which primarily involved the division of the marital home, would have been about $10,000.
The committee also highlighted that Shapiro’s billing practices involved multiple attorneys and paralegals working on routine cases, often leading to redundant work and inflated billing hours for basic tasks. The committee determined that Shapiro’s conduct demonstrated a lack of competence, diligence, and proper communication with her clients.
In terms of mitigating factors, the committee rejected Shapiro’s claim that the COVID-19 pandemic affected her ability to represent clients effectively. However, several aggravating factors were noted, including her substantial experience as a lawyer, prior disciplinary actions for similar conduct, and a lack of appreciation for her ethical obligations.
The hearing committee concluded that the totality of Shapiro’s actions warranted an eighteen-month suspension, emphasizing the need for accountability in the legal profession.
According to Avvo, Ms. Shapiro is a family lawyer in Woburn, MA. She acquired her law license in Massachusetts in 2006.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
